The First Meeting

A couple weeks ago I got an email from my long time friend, Chamnan. She and her husband and baby boy, Steven, were in town visiting from Monterey, CA and invited us over for a "dinner party." Thinking this was going to be an intimate gathering of the Ears, Biggins, and Caldwells, I was prepared for a quiet evening at Chamnan's family home in Silver Spring. I have known Chamnan for 15 years and should know better by now. There were about 6o people in the house most of which were some sort of extended family members. There was food next to food with more food on top of plates of food. What a kick!

Our boys are 13 days apart and it was their first meeting. I hope that they will someday get to know each other and laugh like Chamnan and I do.

Chamnan was my first friend at college. I met her during Freshman orientation the summer before school started in 1994. My parents and and I drove her home to Gaithersburg after orientation and since then I have felt a special bond with her. We can go for a year without seeing each other and pick up right where we left off.

And let's not forget Becky and her 3 year old, Austin. Another Frostburg friend and I always thoroughly enjoy every time we get together. At only a couple weeks old, Austin was the youngest to attend our wedding in November, 2006. Austin, you are so big now!!

Yep, that's drool. Like major amounts of drool.

Fletcher, Greydon, Greydon's drool-soaked shirt,

Steven the magical non-drool baby, and Sophal.